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University of Florida

Tyler Dukes

Knight Chair in Journalism and Technology, Journalism Department

Tyler Dukes Headshot
Tyler Dukes

Read Tyler Dukes’s hiring announcement and faculty directory page.

Quick Facts

  • Specializes in investigative reporting, data journalism and artificial intelligence
  • Previous jobs include the lead editor for AI innovation in journalism at McClatchy Media, investigative reporter for The News & Observer and WRAL News in Raleigh and instructor at at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy
  • Has a bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology and Society with a minor in Journalism from North Carolina State University

What classes will you be teaching?

JOU 3101: Reporting

What is your area of expertise?

Investigative/data journalism, computational journalism and artificial intelligence

Significant other, children, pets?

My wife Katie and I have been married for 16 years. We have a 2-year-old Carolina dog named Winnie who is (thankfully) just growing out of her feral puppy stage.

What accomplishments, personal or professional, are you most proud of?

Across all the reporting I’ve done, I’m most proud of the times I’ve been able to deeply collaborate with other journalists in my newsrooms. Teaming up with beat reporters, visual journalists, designers, producers, social media specialists and editors has always elevated the work, whether we’re probing the growth of corporate landlords or the rise of automated license plate readers and other surveillance tech. Collaboration makes journalism more fun, more rewarding and more impactful.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Any hobbies?

I’m a scuba diver, a mediocre runner and a halfway decent homebrewer.

What is your favorite piece of media (book, movie, show, game)?

My favorite movie of all time is Jaws. It’s a truly perfect film worth rewatching at least once a year.

What advice would you give to a student just getting started in your area of expertise?

Treat every story, assignment and project as an opportunity to learn something new. It will ensure you’ll never get bored, and your skills will never atrophy.

Who is your hero or biggest inspiration (alive or historical)?

Kurt Vonnegut.

What three things don’t we know about you?

  • My wife and I lived part-time on a boat for several years
  • I used to routinely prepare whole hog, eastern North Carolina barbecue from scratch for college football tailgates
  • I started my college career thinking I wanted to build spaceships